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“Quietly came, quietly went…” - Special Operations Forces of Ukraine

The modern Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were created in 2016 on the basis of existing units and subunits, most of which already had some combat experience. As of the summer of 2023, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces are based on two special purpose regiments – a special purpose maritime center, a special operations center and several other units. Their main tasks include in-depth reconnaissance, combat raids behind enemy lines, search and evacuation of captives or hostages, and anti-terrorist activities. The selection process for Special Forces units is very rigorous, with only 10% of all candidates passing the selection process. Special attention is paid to the equipment of the Special Forces units. The weapons, equipment and facilities include the most modern models, both foreign and Ukrainian, such as the special Vulcan assault rifle, which has been supplied to Special Forces units since 2017. Also in 2020, the Special Operations Forces were the first in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to adopt the structure of NATO army headquarters. During 2022-2023, Ukrainian Special Forces units successfully performed the most difficult combat missions in all areas of combat operations.